Curve or crossing for cable railways



(No Model.) 3 Sheets--Sheet 1.

E. N. WALLIS. CURVE AND CROSSING FOR'GABLE RAILWAYS.

No. 505,737. Patented se t. 26, 1893,

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(No Model.)

E. N. WALLIS. CURVE AND GROSSING FOR CABLE RAILWAYS.

No. 505,737. Patented Sept. 26, 1893.

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E. N. WALLIS. CURVE AND CROSSING FOR CABLE RAILWAYS.

No. 505,737. Patented Sept. 26, 1893.

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Wir'wsses fiwenlor Hm Edward/JV: v 5y his afldrn/q/' NITED STATES PATENTOFFICE;

EDWARD N. WVALLIS, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

CURVE OR CR OSSING FOR CABLE RAILWAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 505,737, datedSeptember 26, 1893.

Application filed August 16, 1892. fierial No. 4 13.197. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWARD N. WALLIS, a citizemof the United States, anda resident of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certainImprovements in Curve or Crossing Structures for Cable Railways, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to turn-out or crossing structures for cablerailways, or to combined turn-out and crossing structures, the object ofmy invention being to provide mechanism serving to operate a pull bar orhook whereby a car may be carried around the curve or over the crossingor whereby both operations may be effected in a combined curve andcrossing structure. This object I attain in the manner hereinafter setforth, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which-Figure 1, is a longitudinal section of sufficient of a curve andcrossing structure of a cable railway to illustrate my invention. F1g.2, is a plan view of the same showing the parts in position for drawinga car around the curve from one cable line to another at right anglesthereto. Fig. 8, is a similar plan View showing the parts adjusted fordrawing a car along one cable line and across the other. Fig. 4:, is aplan view on an enlarged scale of part of a draft chain'whichl employ 1ncarrying out my invention; and Fig. 5, is an enlarged transverse sectionof part of the device.

In Fig. 1, A represents part of a cable conduit extending in onedirection, and B part of a conduit extending in a direction at rightangles thereto, A representing the cable in the conduit A, and B thecable in the conduit B.

At the point Where the two conduits cross each other or where it isdesired to provide a turn-out from one conduit to the other, or whereboth these structures are combined in one, I locate a box or casing D inwhich are suitable bearings D for a shaft F, the latter having at oneend a drum orpulley F which receives one or more turns of the cable A,the latter being preferably directed to said drum or pulley F by meansof guide rollers a. At the other end of the shaft is a bevel wheel Fwhich meshes with a pinion G on a shaft H mounted in an inclinedposition in suitable hearings on the bottom of the box. Mounted on saidshaft H are two pinions G and G? which, however, are loose on the shaftbut can be clutched thereto when desired by means'of a clutch sleeveIsplined or otherwise secured to the shaft so'as to be compolled to turntherewith but at liberty to move between the pinions G G so as to engagewith the hub of either pinion or so as to oocupy a mid position where itis free from engagement with either hub. Both pinions G and G are inengagement with a bevel Wheel J on a transverse shaft J which carries asprocketi wheel J the teeth of which are adapted to engage with thelinks of a chain K the latter being guided in a suitable box or groove Kformed along the inner side of each conduit below the slot of the same.The sprocket Wheel passes completely through the box K so that the chainis prevented from rising to such an extent as to, slip from the teeth ofthe wheel. (See Fig.5.)

The chain K is composed of alternate loop links I) and bars d as shownin Fig. 4:, the loop links having a central bar b and the teeth of thesprocket wheel J 2 being forked or split so as to straddle the same.(See Fig. 5.) The connecting bars cl between the loop links 19 of thechain are pivoted to said loop links, as shown in Fig. 4, so that thechain is free to bend laterally in passing around a curve, said bars,however, lapping sufficiently to prevent any buckling or rising of thelinks. Hence the chain is rigid longitudinally so far as regardsvertical yielding, and is only flexible laterally.

The end portions-of each loop link are provided with antifrictionrollers f for running in the box or groove K formed in the conduit'forthe guidance of the chain, these rollers also serving as antifrictioncontacts for the teeth of the sprocket wheel, three of which teeth arealways in engagement with thelinks of the chain, so as to provide forthe steady and powerful driving of the latter.

Where the turn-out adjoins the conduit A there is a switch point Mmounted on a vertical rock shaft 0:, the latter having an arm M which isconnected bya rod g to a bell crank lever g, the latter being connectedby a rod g to an operating lever g suitably located so that the switchpoint can be turned to direct the draft chain around the curve and intothe conduit B, as shown in Fig. 2,01 across the conduit 13 and into theconduit A beyond the same, as shown in Fig. 3.' The clutch I is undercontrol of an arm N mounted on a rock shaft Nwhich extends beyond thebox D to any convenient point where itis under control of the sameattendant who manipulates the lever g and who can thus move the clutchsleeve I into engagement with either of the pinions G or G or to a midposltlon where it is out of engagement with either of said pinions. Whenthe clutch is 1n engagement with one of said pinions the sprocket wheelJ 2 is rotated so as to move the chain K in one direction and when theclutch IS 1n engagement with the other pinion the movement of saidsprocket wheel is reversed and the chain is traversed in the oppositedirection. Hence it will be seen that the chain can either be directedfrom the conduit A into the conduit B to pull a car around the curve oracross said conduit 13 in order to pull a car from one portion of theconduit A to the other.

In order to prevent sudden strain on the cha n K or jerk upon the car instarting, said chaln K has at the draft end a spring clevis K and aspring hook K the latter yielding sidewlse when struck by an advancinggrip bar, but springing behind said bar after the latter has passed thesame so as to be in pos1t10n to engage the grip bar in order to pull itaround the curve or across the conduit, the lateral yielding of thishook also permitting the free passage of the grip bars of cars whichcontlnue their straight course along the conduit B.

In order to provide for the automatic stoppage of the draft chain andits operating mechanism when said chain has reached the l11n1t of itsmovement in either direction, I employ a pair of pivoted arms PPconnected by a rod 1; which is also connected to the op crating arm N ofthe clutch sleeve I. When sald clutch sleeve is in engagement with thepinlon G the free end of the arm P will proect into the path of the gripbar of a car traversing the conduit A or the curve connecting saidconduit with the conduit B as shown partly by full lines and partly bydotted lines in Figs. 2 and 3, and as soon as said grlp bar has passedaround the curve or has traversed so far across the box D as to be inposition for engagement with the cable A it will strike the end of thearm I and move the same to the position shown by dotted lines throughoutin Fig. 3 so as to move the clutch sleeve I to the central orinoperative position,-

and when the clutch is moved into engagement with the pinion G in orderto return the draft chain to position for a fresh operation, a block 71:at the forward end of said chain will strike the arm P and thereby movethe clutch sleeveI to inoperative position, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

My improved draft mechanism, even when adapted for both curve andcrossing structures as shown in the drawings, is of a comparativelysimple and inexpensive character, and need require no driving powerother than that aiforded by the cable itself, and it can be accuratelyand readily controlled by one attendant. Some of the features of myinvention, however, if desired may be embodied in draft mechanismderiving its power from means other than the cable.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent- 1. Thecombination in a curve or crossing structure, of adraft chain, a wheel for operatin g the same, and reversible drivingmechanism for said wheel comprising a shaft having a drum or pulley forreceiving one of the traction cables, a counter shaft geared to saiddrum shaft, a bevel wheel on the chain wheel shaft, two pinions on thecountershaft in mesh with said bevel wheel, and a clutch whereby eitherof said pinions may be caused to rotate with said countershaft or eitheror both of said pinions may be released therefrom, substantially asspecified.

2. The combination in acurve and crossing structure for cable railways,of the laterally flexible horizontal draft chain, a sprocket drive wheelengaging directly therewith, a drum driven by the cable, means fortransmitting movement from said drum to the sprocket wheel, guide boxesfor the draft chain formed on the curved and crossing portions of theconduit, and a switch finger pivoted at the junction of said curve andcrossing boxes and having a point free to swing into contact with eitherthe inner or outer wall of the straight portion of the guide box,whereby the chain can be directed either around the curve from oneconduit to the other, or along one conduit and across the other,substantially as specified.

3. The combination in a curve structurefor cable railways, of the draftchain composed of links pivoted together so that the chain is free tobend laterally in passing round a curve, but is inflexible in a verticaldirection, guide boxes for said draft chain formed on the straight andcurved portions of the conduit, a drive wheel having sprocket teethengaging directly with the links of the drive chain, a drum rotated bythe cable, and gearing whereby the sprocket drive wheel can be rotatedin either direction from said drum, substantially as specified.

4. The combination in a curve or crossing structure for cable railways,of the draft chain, a spring clevis for attaching the draft hook to thechain, guides for said chain, a driving wheel therefor, and means forrotating said drive wheel in one direction or the other, substantiallyas specified.

5. The combination in a curve or crossing structure for cable railways,of the draft chain, a drive wheel therefor, mechanism for rotating saidwheel, a clutch governing the direction of such rotation, and stoplevers connected to said clutch and serving to adjust the same to theinoperative position when the chain reaches the limit of its movement ineither direction, substantially as specified.

6. The combination of the draft chain, the conduit structure having aguide box for said chain, and the drive wheel engaging with the chainand projecting through both bottom and top of the box, substantially asspeci- IO fled.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

EDWARD N. WALLIS.

Witnesses:

FRANK E. BEoHToLD, HARRY SMITH.

